Closer for doors and the like

ABSTRACT

An elongated housing has longitudinally spaced ends. A slide means is arranged in the housing longitudinally slidable towards and away from one of the ends between a rest position and a working position. Connecting means operatively connects the slide means with the door to cause movement of the slide means between the positions thereof in response to movement of the door in its open and closed positions. Biasing means permanently urges the slide means to rest position. Adjusting means adjusts the biasing force exerted by the biasing means and includes a pair of parallel rods slidably extending from the interior of the housing beyond the other end of the housing to the exterior thereof, with the rods having first end portions located within and second end portions located without the housing. An inner connecting member connects the first end portions and is associated with the biasing member, and an outer connecting member connects the outer end portions exteriorly of the other end of the housing.

[72] inventor Dietrich Jentsch Ennepetal-Voerde, Germany [21] Appl. No. 850,349 [22] Filed Aug. 15, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 [73] Assignee Dot-ken & Manltel KG Ennepetal-Voerde, Germany [32] Priority Aug. 17, 1968 [33] Germany [31] IP 17 84 545.3

[ 54] CLOSER FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 16/53 [5]] lnt.Cl E05i3/lt), E05f 3/22 [50] Field of Search 16/51, 53-85 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,337,763 4/1920 Gandil 16/53 2,128,633 8/1938 Bissell.... l6/57 Primary Examiner Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: An elongated housing has longitudinally spaced ends. A slide means is arranged in the housing longitudinally slidable towards and away from one of the ends between a rest position and a working position. Connecting means operatively connects the slide means with the door to cause movement of the slide means between the positions thereofin response to movement of the door in its open and closed positions. Biasing means permanently urges the slide means to rest position. Adjusting means adjusts the biasing force exerted by the biasing means and includes a pair of parallel rods slidably extending from the interior of the housing beyond the other end of the housing to the exterior thereof, with the rods having first end portions located within and second end portions located without the housing. An inner connecting member connects the first end portions and is associated with the biasing member, and an outer connecting member connects the outer end portions exteriorly of the other end ofthe housing.

CLOSER FOR DOORS ANDTHE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a device for closing doors and the like, and more particularly to a device of this type wherein a slide is movable longitudinally within a housing, being urged to a rest position by biasing means and being moved from its rest position in response to turning movement of the shaft with which it is associated and which in turn is connected with the door or other element to be closed by the device.

Such devices are already known. However, it has been found that difficulties are experienced in adjusting the biasing force of the biasing means which urges the slide to the rest position. The problem is that the biasing means is usually in the form of a helical spring, and that in the known constructions the axial prestressing of this spring cannot be accomplished without superimposing a lateral component of movement onto the spring with the disadvantageous consequences which will be'evident to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the constructions'known from the prior art are rather voluminous which is of course undesirable in a modern door closer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a device of the type under discussion which is not possessed of the disadvantages mentioned above.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide such a device which is simple and compact in its construction but provides for reliable adjustment of the prestressing of the biasing means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the type under discussion wherein the adjustment of the biasing means can be readily carried out without any difficulties and without imparting to the biasing means any characteristics which are not desired.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provision for a closer for doors and the like which comprises elongated housing means having longitudinally spaced ends, and slide means longitudinally slidable in the housing means in predetermined direction towards and away from one of the ends between a rest position and a working position. Connecting means operatively connects the slide means with a door for effecting movement of the slide means between the positions thereof in response to movement of the door between its open and closed positions. Biasing means permanently urges the slide means to its rest position. Adjusting means is provided for adjusting the biasing force exerted by the biasing means. In accordance with the invention, the adjusting means comprises a pair of parallel rods slidably extending from the interior of the housing beyond the other of the ends thereof to the exterior of the housing and having first end portions located within and second end portions located without the housing. An inner connecting member connects the first end portions within the housing and is associated with the biasing member. An outer connecting member connects the outer end portions without the housing proximal to the aforementioned other end of the housing. Abutment means on the outer connecting member abuts against the aforementioned other end and causes the outer connecting member to move axially away from the other end of the housing at the will of a user. to thereby effect sliding of the rods and of the inner connecting member relative to the housing means with concomitant varying of the biasing force exerted by the biasing means.

Because in accordance with the present invention, the axial orientation of the parallel rods does not change, regardless of the adjustment of the biasing means, it is possible to provide reliable and highly effective sealing at the locations of the rods and the interior ofthe housing.

Furthermore, the present invention provides for a particularly compact and advantageous configuration of the housing. To facilitate this further, it is advantageous that both rods are located with their major portions exteriorly of the housing because the housing may then be configurated-Jn the region at which the rods extends exteriorly thereof-as a cylinder ac commodating the piston for the hydraulic damping device of the door closer. Of course, the present invention can be similarly used with other constructions, for instance if instead of a single piston and a single piston rod, two pistons and two piston rods are provided located in the interior of the housing and each associated with a biasing means, for instance in form of helical biasing springs surrounding respective piston rod.

The housing itself is preferably constituted by two housing sections which are releasably connected with one another.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best-understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top-plan view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention, partly sectioned and partly broken away with portions of the housing having been omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line lI-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1,

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the illustrated device comprises a housing composed of two housing sections 10 and 11 which are secured to one another. The housing section 10 has the cross-sectional configuration evident from FIG. 1, whereas the housing section 11 has the cross-sectional configuration which is clear from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2. One sidewall of the housing section 10 is provided with an opening which can be closed by a releasable cover 12 for affording access to the interior. A shaft 17 extends transversely through the housing section 10 and is connectable with a door or analogous structural element so as to rotate about its longitudinal axisin response to movement of the door from open to closed position, and vice versa. The shaft is journaled in an antifriction bearing 14 mounted in a holding ring 13 which in turn issecured to the cover 12, for instance by spot welding, and a second antifriction bearing 15 is secured to the housing at the opposite sidewall from the cover 12. A sealing gasket is associated with the antifriction bearing 15 to prevent escape from hydraulic fluidwhich is received in the interior of the housing sections 10 and 11-past the antifriction bearing 15.

Arranged in the interior of the housing section 10 is a slide element 19 constituted by two transversely spaced parallel plate members 20 which are connected with one another by the rollers 21 freely rotatable with respect to the plate members 20. The plate members 20 are provided with respective longitudinally extending slots 20a which are transversely aligned and which extend in longitudinal direction of the housing constituted by the sections 10 and 11. The shaft 17 extends through the aligned slots 20a and carries intermediate the plate members 20 a cam portion 18 whose configuration is evident from FIGS. 1 and 2 and which is rigid with the shaft 17. A roller ring 22 is also mounted on the shaft 17 freely rotatable thereto, and extends into one of the apertures 20a to roll along the edge faces bounding the same. This guides the slide member 19 with respect to the shaft 17 with a minimum of friction.

Located in the housing section 11 is a piston rod 24 which is connectable with the slide member 19 via screws 23 of analogous fastening elements. A braking arrangement 25 is provided which brakes movement of the slide member 19 in direction towards the left in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the slide member approaches its working position. The construction of the braking arrangement 25 is not of importance for purposes of the present invention and, although it has been illustrated, will not be described.

The opposite end of the piston rod 24 from that which is connected with the slide member 19, is connected with a piston 36 received in the housing section 11. A biasing spring 37 surrounds the piston rod 24 intermediate the piston 36 and an abutment member 32, bearing upon both. The piston 36 is provided in suitable known manner-which therefore need not be further described-with one-way valve means and flow passages which permit the flow of hydraulic fluid from one to the other axial side of the piston 36 in response to movement of the same longitudinally of the housing section 11. The circumferential wall of the housing section 11 is identified with reference numeral 27.

As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the housing section 11 is provided with a connecting flange 28 provided with recessed 29 which are located laterally outwardly of the circumferential wall 27. The walls 30 bounding the recesses 29 are provided with guide bores. Two rods 31 are provided which extend through these guide bores in parallelism with one another. The end portions of the rods 31 which extend into the interior of the housing section are connected by the abutment member 32 whichis of substantially U-shaped cross section and whose bight is provided with an opening through which an end portion of the piston rod 24 extends, which is of flatfor instance rectangu1ar-cross section as evident from FIGS. 3 and 4. The opening in the bight of the abutment member 32 is identified with reference numeral 33.

In accordance with the particular embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, the major portion of each of the rods 31 is located exteriorly of the housing section 11, and the opposite end portions of the rods 31 from those which are received in the interior of the housing section 10, are located proximal to the free end of the housing section 11 and are there connected by a bridging member 34. As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the bridging member 34 is provided with a bore into which a screw 35 is threaded, so that when the screw is threaded through this bore, its tip will abut against the end wall of the housing section 11 and will thereby force the bridging member 34 to move axially away from this end wall. This, in turn, will cause the rods 31 to slide in the same direction as the bridging member 34, causing the abutment member 32 to perform a similar movement and thereby actually compressing the spring 37. This compression of course can be adjusted by the extent to which the screw 35 is threaded through the bore in the bridging member 34. Spring rings, for instance Belleville springs 34 a are interposed at the points at which the respective end portions of the rods 31 are connected with the members 32 and 34.

When the shaft 17 turns for instance in response to movement of an associated door from closed to open position, the slide element 19 moves toward the left, in response to contact of the cam portion 18 with one of the rollers 21. This causes the piston rod 24 to move towards the left, together with the associated piston 36, with concomitant displacement of fluid in known manner from the left-hand towards the right-hand axial side of the piston 36 (compare FIG. 2). At the same time, the spring 37 is axially compressed. The cross sections of the passages which provide for fluid flow between the leftand right-hand axial side of the piston 36, may be regulatable in known manner for changing the volume of fluid flow so as to adjust the return movement of the door form open to closed position during which fluid will of course again be displaced from the right-hand towards the left-hand axial side of the piston 36.

Advantageously the device will be provided with connecting means at the exterior of the housing so that it can be mounted in suitable manner, for instance in the interior of a tubular door frame portion.

In assembling the device in accordance with the present invention, it is advantageous although not absolutely necessary, to preassemble the associated components in the respective housing sections 10 and 11. Thereupon, the housing sections 10 and 11 are connected via the screws or analogous connecting means 26. It is now only necessary to insert the screws 23 which connect the free end of the piston rod 24 with the slide element 19.

Of course, it is possible to provide a variety of modifications without departing in any way from the concept according to the present invention. Thus, the slide member 19 could of course be configurated differently, two or more piston rods 24 could be provided, and two or more springs 37 could be provided. Also, the means for providing the damping effect during return movement of the door and thereby the sliding element 19, could by constructed in different manner.

During assembly it is advantageous to let the free end portion of the piston rod 24 project at least slightly from the housing secton 11, and to do the same for the member 32. This facilitates subsequent assembly with the preassembled housing section 10 and its associated components.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a closer for doors and the like, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A closer for doors and the like, comprising elongated housing means having longitudinally spaced ends; slide means in said housing means longitudinally slidable therein in predetermined direction towards and away from one of said ends between a rest position and a working position; connecting means operatively connecting said slide means with a door for effecting movement of said slide means between said positions thereof in response to movement of the door between its open and closed positions; biasing means permanently urging said slide means to said rest position; and adjusting means for adjusting the biasing force exerted by said biasing means, said adjusting means comprising a pair of parallel rods slidably extending from the interior of said housing means to the exterior of said housing means beyond the other of said ends and having first end portions located within said housing means and second end portions located without said housing means, an inner connecting member connecting said first end portions within said housing means and being associated with said biasing member, an outer connecting member connecting said outer end portions without said housing means proximal to said other end, and adjustable abutment means on said outer connecting member for abutting against said other end and moving said outer connecting member axially away therefrom, whereby to effect sliding of said rods and of said inner connecting member relative to said housing means with concomitant varying of the biasing force exerted by said biasing means.

2. A closer as defined in claim 1, said biasing means being a helical spring received in said housing intermediate said other end and said inner connecting member located in the path of movement of the latter.

3. A closer as defined in claim 1, the major portion of each of said rods being located without and the inner portion of each of said rods being located within said housing.

4. A closer as defined in claim 2, said housing means comprising at least one housing portion extending from said other end in direction towards said one end and configurated as a hollow cylinder; further comprising piston means in said housing portion, and piston rod means connecting said piston means with said slide means; and wherein said helical spring surrounds said piston rod means bears with opposite ends against said piston means and said inner connecting members, respectively. 5

5. A closer as defined'in claim 2, said housing means comprising at least one housing portion extending from said other end in direction towards said one end and configurated as a hollow cylinder; and further comprising piston means in said housing portion, and piston rod means connecting said piston means with said slide means.

6. A closer as defined in claim l, said housing means comprising a first and tubular second housing section having respective open ends facing one another, said first housing section accommodating said slide means and connecting means and having a cross-sectional area larger than that of said second housing section so as to comprise portions projecting laterally beyond said second housing section; securing flanges provided on said housing sections at said open ends thereof; securing means securing said flanges to one another; a pair of apertures provided in the portions of said first housing section which project laterally beyond said second housing section and in said securing flanges and being axially parallel with said second housing section; and wherein said first ends of said tension rods extend through said apertures into said first housingsection whereas the remainder of each tension rods extends exteriorly of said second housing along the same.

7. A closer as defined in claim 4, said inner connecting member being of substantially U-shaped cross section and having a bight portion extending transversely to the elongation of said housing means, said bight portion being provided with an opening, and wherein said piston rod comprises a piston rod portion extending through said opening and connected to said slide means.

8. A closer as defined in claim 7, said piston rod portion having a substantially flat cross section.

9. A closer as defined in claim 8, wherein said cross section of said piston rod portion is rectangular.

10. A closer as defined in claim 4; further comprising a body of hydraulic fluid accommodated in said housing means; and valve means for permitting an exchange of said hydraulic fluid between opposite axial sides of said piston means in response to movement of the latter longitudinally of said housing means. 

1. A closer for doors and the like, comprising elongated housing means having longitudinally spaced ends; slide means in said housing means longitudinally slidable therein in predetermined direction towards and away from one of said ends between a rest position and a working position; connecting means operatively connecting said slide means with a door for effectIng movement of said slide means between said positions thereof in response to movement of the door between its open and closed positions; biasing means permanently urging said slide means to said rest position; and adjusting means for adjusting the biasing force exerted by said biasing means, said adjusting means comprising a pair of parallel rods slidably extending from the interior of said housing means to the exterior of said housing means beyond the other of said ends and having first end portions located within said housing means and second end portions located without said housing means, an inner connecting member connecting said first end portions within said housing means and being associated with said biasing member, an outer connecting member connecting said outer end portions without said housing means proximal to said other end, and adjustable abutment means on said outer connecting member for abutting against said other end and moving said outer connecting member axially away therefrom, whereby to effect sliding of said rods and of said inner connecting member relative to said housing means with concomitant varying of the biasing force exerted by said biasing means.
 2. A closer as defined in claim 1, said biasing means being a helical spring received in said housing intermediate said other end and said inner connecting member located in the path of movement of the latter.
 3. A closer as defined in claim 1, the major portion of each of said rods being located without and the inner portion of each of said rods being located within said housing.
 4. A closer as defined in claim 2, said housing means comprising at least one housing portion extending from said other end in direction towards said one end and configurated as a hollow cylinder; further comprising piston means in said housing portion, and piston rod means connecting said piston means with said slide means; and wherein said helical spring surrounds said piston rod means bears with opposite ends against said piston means and said inner connecting members, respectively.
 5. A closer as defined in claim 2, said housing means comprising at least one housing portion extending from said other end in direction towards said one end and configurated as a hollow cylinder; and further comprising piston means in said housing portion, and piston rod means connecting said piston means with said slide means.
 6. A closer as defined in claim 1, said housing means comprising a first and tubular second housing section having respective open ends facing one another, said first housing section accommodating said slide means and connecting means and having a cross-sectional area larger than that of said second housing section so as to comprise portions projecting laterally beyond said second housing section; securing flanges provided on said housing sections at said open ends thereof; securing means securing said flanges to one another; a pair of apertures provided in the portions of said first housing section which project laterally beyond said second housing section and in said securing flanges and being axially parallel with said second housing section; and wherein said first ends of said tension rods extend through said apertures into said first housing section whereas the remainder of each tension rods extends exteriorly of said second housing section along the same.
 7. A closer as defined in claim 4, said inner connecting member being of substantially U-shaped cross section and having a bight portion extending transversely to the elongation of said housing means, said bight portion being provided with an opening, and wherein said piston rod comprises a piston rod portion extending through said opening and connected to said slide means.
 8. A closer as defined in claim 7, said piston rod portion having a substantially flat cross section.
 9. A closer as defined in claim 8, wherein said cross section of said piston rod portion is rectangular.
 10. A closer as defined in claim 4; furTher comprising a body of hydraulic fluid accommodated in said housing means; and valve means for permitting an exchange of said hydraulic fluid between opposite axial sides of said piston means in response to movement of the latter longitudinally of said housing means. 